☆ April Favourites ☆

READLincoln In The Bardo by George Saunders – As a non-fiction fan, this book (a fictitious imagining of Abraham Lincoln’s time in the graveyard with his deceased 10 year old son Willie) would not have originally caught my attention. But I read it for book club and was happily surprised by how much I enjoyed it. It’s experimental format, of play-like dialogue and historical accounts scattered throughout, was challenging to read at times. But its cast of eccentric characters kept the pace up for a page-turning finish.

WATCHThe Chefs’ Line – possibly the most underrated cooking show in Australia at the moment. I can only think that SBS must have the tiniest marketing budget, otherwise images of African sausages, nervous apprentice chefs and food critic Melissa Leong’s colourful outfits should be splashed across billboards everywhere. The show – which features a different cuisine, group of home cooks, and chef’s line of a prominent Australian restaurant each week – it’s like Master Chef without the overly dramatic tears, with more contestants, and 3 non-Anglo hosts. Watch it for: an insight into new cuisines, the hierarchy of the restaurant industry, and voice-overs by beloved food safari-ist Meave O’Mara.

MAKE UP
My holy-grail lipstick is out of stock everywhere. Cue: attempt to ~try new things~ and broaden my lipstick horizons. I picked up Dirty Love by Winky Lux at Mecca and have been happily impressed thus far. At AUD$23, it is a lower price point than many other lipsticks but the quality of the product is just as good. Highly pigmented and chicly packaged, it’s a silver lining discovery in my NARS Morocco drought.

PSA If anyone comes across the lipstick Morocco by NARS, let me know. THIS IS NOT A DRILL.

Smoking Gun bagels: Tom & Cherry and Miso Hungry

EATSmoking Gun Bagels (Woolloomooloo) are made by hand, baked in a wood-fired oven and served up with creative, satisfying toppings. This gem is located just around the corner from my work and I’ve fallen head over heels for a big bite of a crisp, sesame crusted bagel smeared generously with cream cheese and red miso & orange cured salmon *heaven*

LISTENBBC Radio 4 Food Programme is my new favourite podcast, hosted by the delightfully British Sheila Dillon. The ~30min episodes investigate various aspects of gastronomic culture, from the history of ingredients and industries, to cake clubs and curious chefs. I delight in the well-researched, high quality recorded and edited nature of this podcast and its thorough discussion into the cultural significance of food at large. Some favourite episodes include: Brexit & Food, Fast Food Workers, Scotch Egg! Scotch Egg!, the Potato, Thailand: a Royal food legacy, and the Surprising Strawberry. This podcast really goes into the field – interviewing chefs, growers, specialists, home cooks and public alike, and revealing nooks and crannies of the food industry.

LOCALE
Except for childhood scooter rides around the bike track and school walkathons, my memories of Centnnial Park (Sydney) are few. I’ve recently rediscovered this leafy sanctuary as a perfect spot for afternoon walks, lying-in-the-grass reading time and duck feeding. Check out Busby’s Pond near the Rose Garden for a more secluded area where you don’t even see the roads. Note: Geese are fearless here.